W R Collier Jr

The White Guilt Lie

W R Collier Jr December 13, 2014

By Bill Collier- Opinion- It’s all the rage. Whenever you do something a partisan class don’t like, they throw up something your ancestors allegedly did and accuse you of being a racist. Now Notre Dame has a seminar on white guilt. Meanwhile, as amnesty for illegal border crossers is debated, some say white people are hypocrites because of alleged abuses by their ancestors of Indians (Native Americans).

What is not seen is a PROPER response, a response that says, “none of these accusations and none of this guilt nonsense matters.” We can resort to the Word of God, the Bible, to see how God judges people, and we would never hear God saying, “because of something your ancestor did, you are guilty and you have no moral authority.” This would be injustice and it flies in the face of the great American ideal articulated by Martin Luther King Jr. that everyone should only every be judged by the content of THEIR character.

As for those who preach “white guilt” or who lay the guilt of previous generations upon people today, blaming living Christians for the alleged wrongs of the Crusades or living Americans for the alleged wrongs done to Indians, this is the Word of the Lord, who is just and righteous and true, and every man a liar.

EZEKIEL 18
1The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,

12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.The Soul who Sins will Die

19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Whoever dares condemn ME or YOU of anyone for that which we have no part, whoever tries to lay ANY guilt on you or for that which you or I had no participation, this is their fate: as they have judged others, so shall they be judged. Every sin their ancetors have committed will be upon their head, for as you judge, you are then yourself judged. But as for me, my innocence before God will be vindicated by God and not one weapon formed against me will prosper.

If you have been condemned because of the alleged sins of others who came before you, renounce that curse and share this as a way of saying you refuse to receive such unjust condemnation, and as a warning to your accusers, for by so judging you they themselves own every sin of their ancestors, and not one of us is lacking in sinful ancestors!

The days of peddling white guilt must end and those using it must understand that they are the ones truly condemned by their own words, not the people they are falsely accusing.

Blacklash And Whitelash Fomented From Ferguson

W R Collier Jr December 2, 2014

Bill Collier- Officer Darren Wilson did not give a “a death sentence for petty robbery” as some who many see as race-baiters are saying. He was shot by a police officer who claims that this young man was threatening his life. A death sentence occurs when a court find someone guilty and passes a sentence. When an individual defends themselves, whether as a cop on the beat or a home owners facing an intruder, the death caused by their action is considered an act of self-defense. But as “blacklash” aimed at whites and cops is fomented by the likes of Al Sharpton and, some argue, the President himself, some fear the “whitelash” that will follow as angered whites, and cops, decide to push back against what they see as a libelous narrative that paints them ALL as criminals, racists, or jst inferior people from a moral perspective.

The real issue in this particular case is whether the officer acted in self-defense and the Grand Jury decided that he was, or at least that they could not indict him. Mike Brown is being made the new “hero” of the so-called “civil rights” movement, a movement that some argue is now demanding “special rights” for black criminals. The real issues in general are whether or not our police forces have non-lethal alternatives and whether or not there is an embedded prejudice against minorities by some police officers, enough so that we should have a national discussion about the issue.

While some would argue that, regardless of the details of this case, who was right and who was wrong. these issues of police aggressiveness and prejudice in some instances, the strategy employed by Ferguson inspired “protesters” (in quotes because too many protesters have acted as little more than looting thugs) is making such rational and honest discussion impossible. It is merely leading to more hate and anger, and more prejudice on both sides.

The choice of Mike Brown as the symbol of these issues is problematic for civil rights activists in more ways than they seem to realize. To make a young man whose death, tragic as it may be, was at least partly the result of his own criminal conduct discredits all who use him as their “poster boy” means, to some, nothing more than painting all whites as criminals and amounts to a demand that black criminals should not be apprehended, let alone punished Of course, the protesters and their supporters would deny this is what they want. and that is probably true, but the “optics” of having Mike Brown be the face of their movement are not good.

People in America are not being persuaded by the radical #Ferguson protests, by their disruptions, or by their broad-brushed accusations against all police and all white people. They are not impressed with painting all white people and all police with a broad brush more akin to blood libel that promotes violence against the maligned groups. Indeed, violence against whites, for simply being white, is on the rise, and everyone knows about the “knockout game” where blacks come up on an unsuspecting white person and knock them out. Demonizing white people and cops will only continue so much longer, and violence against those groups will only be tolerated so much longer, before the gloves come off and a violent push back, sadly and tragically, begins to take place.

For instance, I can see a group of these “protesters” storming into a crowded mall accusing white people of this or that and being bum rushed by an enraged crowd who have just about HAD ENOUGH of being slandered because of the color of their skin. The rage these so-called race-baiters (aas some have labeled them) are feeding is going to erupt, and violently, because, as history shows us, no group of people, especially a MAJORITY, will long endure being abused through no fault of their own.

As a “white man” myself I am deeply angered and offended by people who accuse me of being “privileged” or “prejudice” just because I am white. I have experienced racism and hate both because I was white at the hands of prejudiced blacks (I must note, black people came to my defense) and by whites because I had a black girlfriend (Vietnamese refugees rescued me in this case). I do not own or receive or tolerate such slanders against myself because of the color of my skin. But I am not going to react in violence, the weapons of my warfare are spiritual, not carnal- I understand that demonic forces are behind this ramping up of hate and mistrust.

But I can see, and predict, that a violent backlash is coming, a whitelsh against the ongoing blasklash which Al Sharpton seems intent on fueling with his divisive rhetoric. I myself feel anger that rise up in me, a desire to strike back and punish these who accuse ME of being morally inferior just because I am born white, but I understand that this is of the flesh and is demonically inspired on both sides- so I wage spiritual war in prayer and in being a witness to the truth.

“White rage” , a whitelash, is being stoked by the ongoing and, many now argue, irrational “blacklash”. Some say that is intentional, but if it is then the ones stoking that rage should know that they will quickly lose control over the situation if they do this. The fact that a notorious “anti-white black supremacist” (as some have now taken to calling Al Sharpton) is spearheading what some see as a “racist” President’s efforts in this arena proves to some that the President wants to foment a race war. I doubt that either supposition is true, but appointing Al Sharpton will only make a peaceful resolution and real discussion impossible.

The Ferguson shooting does reveal some weaknesses in our law enforcement system, both in terms of training and the use of non-lethal methods and technologies, but a rational discussion of either that or lingering racist sentiments, on all sides, is now impossible. One feels that blacks are taking the side of a criminal thug who might not necessarily have needed to die for a petty robbery and whites taking the side of a cop who may have only been doing all that his training allowed for him to do- in other words, blacks will defend Brown because that is “their” side and whites will defend Wilson because that is “their” side.

As a white man, I am finding that even suggesting that there are still race problems and that blacks are far more likely to suffer lost economic opportunities and prejudiced treatment by official agencies, including the police, is no longer even considered for discussion without being shouted down. I see more and more anti=black racist comments being directed at these protesters, and a callous disregard for the life of this young man, Mike Brown, who committed a petty robbery and who resisted arrest.

On the other hand, if I suggest that the police officer is not a criminal, that Mike Brown chose to rob someone and then assault a police office, I am called a racist by some black people who just assume that all white people are moral inferiors just because of the color of their skin.

Here is the tragedy: judging from his statements and divisive actions, Al Sharpton seems to a race war and, sadly, as whites and police become more incensed at the blood libels being lobed at them, he may get precisely that. One hopes that white people and police do not fall for the bait and that more and more black people rise up to demand a more rational response, but so far things seem to be marching toward a conflict on the basis of the color of people’s skin.

This would be a tragedy far beyond the tragedy of one young man’s tragic death.

No Indictment for Wilson

W R Collier Jr November 24, 2014

As we had reported earlier today, the Grand Jury chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for his role in the shooting death of Michael Brown. The shooting touched off months of protests and violence in Ferguson, MO.

Speculation now remains as to why the announcement was held off for so long. Delaying the announcement, it was not even announced at its scheduled time of 8PM local (9PM Eastern), and in fact the Brown family attorney leaked to USAToday minutes before the presser that no indictment was handed down.

Protestors had blocked several intersections with human chains and crowds began to swell within a few minutes of the scheduled announcement.

Regardless of the decision, many across the political spectrum believe that a serious dialogue is needed regarding police tactics and the use of force, including demands that non-lethal technologies be employed and training be provided. The non-indictment does not change the view of many that there are many non-lethal technologies and methods which are available and which, if employed, would not have resulted in a death.

The rioting continued apace, in fact as President Obama was calling for calm and citing examples of what not to do, such as breaking out the windows of a cop car, a split screen showed exactly those things happening, as if here narrating events. One protestor who was not happy about the looting complained that the police had backed off and left businesses defenseless. But, as we noted earlier, the local authorities are severely constrained by Federal pressure, potentially coming direct from the Justice Department. One official telling us that for them there is “no good choice”, they are being asked to back off and, now that looting is occuring, they are being blamed for not protecting the businesses.

Small crowds of protestors are taunting police, hurling invectives and epithets, as well as bottles, but police are hiding behind shields and vehicles and using tear gas to disperse the crowds, but they are keeping their distance in what appears to be a protocol which matches what we reported on earlier regarding Federal pressure.

In one case, at a beauty shop, protestors prevented looters from entering the store. Later, however, looters returned and set fire to that same shop, which is owned by a local woman who also happens to be black.

In general, and it must be noted, the looters are not part of the protest and are not welcomed by the protestors who have been heard in numerous video and audio scenes trying to stop the looters. One could be heard yelling “stop this, this is not right!” But to no avail. But despite this the police kept their distance from the crowds, even as fires were lit in various locations.

Serious questions will be raised regarding any Federal pressure to stand off and what consequences may have resulted from a stand-off policy. To some, including locals, “the police are just letting this spin out of control.”

The damage to local businesses and, by extension, the local economy, is incalculable. Many will have no job to go because of what has transpired. Multiple businesses were burned as police backed off and multiple shotes erupted in Ferguson.

Non-violent, and smaller, protests took place in other cities, including New York, Chicago, Saint Louis, Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. A highway in St. Louis was shut down.

We will update this story as it emerges.

Claim- Ferguson Grand Jury- NO On Indictment of Darren Wilson

W R Collier Jr November 24, 2014

Multiple local media sources close to the Grand Jury investigation of Police Officer Darren Wilson are claiming that there will be no indictment (h/t Warner Todd Huston). While the decision is not scheduled to be released until after 6PM local, many factors have been considered as evidence for this claim.

Police and even National Guard are in preparation for “massive” unrest and we have been informed of a “growing rfit” between Federal and State officials, with State officials claiming that the Obama Administration is far too much focused on getting political advantage in this situation and far less concerned with justice or public order. With Reverand Al Sharpton, a firebrand and staunch partisan, said to be leading the Administration’s efforts there is concern that real public safety is taking a back seat. Federal officials are leaning on local and state officials to use “such extremes of constraint” that it is feared the unrest will get way out of hand.

As one official confided, “if we do as they wish and things get out of hand, we will be condemned, but if we actually keep order, we will be accused of using too much force- there is NO good option.” Morale is reported to be very low.

The issue regarding the outcome of the Grand Jury, whether local sources prove right or wrong, is of less importance to local and state officials than the issue of public order. The rioting and looting have had a tragic affect on the local economy and a repeat of the same type of events is likely to drive what businesses have remained in the area out of the area, or out of business. The protestors have promised to disrupt many communities and have targeted many businesses which, arguably, have not one thing to do with the case.

One protest group has announced: “they are NOT going to indict….The time has come for nationwide revolution.”

Hagel Out As Secretary of Defense

W R Collier Jr November 24, 2014

Chuck Hagel Steps Down As Secretary of Defense
Bll Collier- In a move that was as sudden as it was unexpected, Chuck Hagel offered his resignation on the morning of November 24, 2014 to the President, effective immediately. Hagel has only been at his post since 2013 and his tenure was rather short.

It is believed that the sudden move was meant to allow a replacement candidate under the lame duck Congress, a candidate who will fit more with the pacific policies of the Administration. Hagel had been more of a hawk and had repeatedly suggested that the fight against ISIS might require ground forces. It is also believed by insiders that Hagel resisted the talks with Iran, talks over their nuclear weapons program which are currently at an impasse.

The new nominee is expected to be someone who might be less attractive to the GOP, owing to their pacific intentions and possibly their lack of experience with defense or military matters. Increasingly this more pacific Administration has bucked heads with top military brass, and although there has been quite a turnover in both the Department of Defense and the Pentagon, the President has not been satisfied that the upper ranks have not embraced or backed his broad sweeping policies which involve a far less aggressive foreign policy stance and a reduction in military manpower and capability. The President has focused more on diplomatic ties and economic leverage and tends to eschew either using military force or the threat of military force.

Within the military, the popularity of Hagel and the President, the civilian leadership, has hovered at around 20% to 30%, which many see as understandable due to the deep and ongoing cutbacks. The new Secretary of Defense will continue the previous policies of the Administration and it is expected that they will be more in lockstep with the core beliefs of the Commander in Chief.

While Republicans have threatened to block all nominees by the President over his use of what they call “executive amnesty” for 4-5 million illegal immigrants, they have stated that they would not block nominees who are vital to national security.

Within the Defense establishment there are growing concerns that the pacific policies and the force reductions in the face of Russian and Chinese military expansion is beginning to seriously undermine America’s global military standing. Others, however, are convinced that the US military would have to be reduced by over half to reach a point where it could not handle any potential foreign threat. A third school of thought believes that the overall military budget is bloated due to a combination of a top-heavy administrative and logistics organization and over-inflated prices for military equipment by the defense industry in general.

It is generally believed that this move is part of a larger effort by the Administration to gain complete control over foreign policy, putting and end to contradictory messaging, and pursuing their deep felt convictions regarding diplomacy and economics as better tools than force or the threat of force much more consistently and un-apologetically.

Federal Election Consequences

W R Collier Jr November 5, 2014

Editorial By Bill Collier- GOP takeover of the US Senate could have interesting consequences, not so much in bills that will be passed as in the degree of pushback and resistance the President will receive regarding his massive use of executive actions, especially through the policies enacted by unelected regulators.

The EPA will certainly come under scrutiny as its regulatory regimen is seen as illegal on the part of many Republicans. One can expect joint House and Senate Hearings, and investigations, on this very subject. The EPA has been implementing, through the broadest possible interpretation of its regulatory powers (ceded to it by the Congress over the years), a cap and trade regimen aimed at dramatically reducing the coal industry and limited the use of fossil fuels, even at the cost of a loss of hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs and the precipitous increase in energy costs. This very agenda has been voted on in Congress and was rejected by lawmakers. It is also rejected by most voters.

But this is not the only area of concern. Lawmakers will have more clout to investigate Benghazi, the IRS, and the Justice Department’s actions regarding Fast and Furious and its attempts to silence the media by investigating and spying on reporters.

Beyond investigations and regulatory oversight, it will be impossible for the President to continue to determine spending largely without Congressional oversight through the use of “continuing resolutions” which have essentially skirted the Constitutional requirement for an actual BUDGET to be originated in the House and confirmed in the Senate. The President and the GOP will have to work out actual budgets as it is certain that the GOP will not tolerate one more year without an actual budget.

Many votes which were held off by Harry Reid, the now former Majority Leader, to shield Democrats from taking tough stands will be pushed with a vengeance.

What is more, it is possible the rule changes imposed by Reid, which effectively blocked man of the maneuvers formerly open to a minority, will remain unchanged, at least for now. If indeed the GOP leadership roll back those rules, to their own disadvantage, one can be sure their base will be angry. The media will give them no point for doing so, and their opponents will not hesitate to use the relaxed rules to gum up the works as much as possible.

In effect, then, those rule changes which many see as making the Senate far less collegial and deliberative than it used to be, could become permanent, leading to a further erosion of the public’s trust and confidence in their government.

This will be especially problematic for any Obama appointees, including whoever might replace Attorney General Eric Holder. With the current rule changes, Republicans will be able to quickly vote down nominees and avoid long, drawn our hearings and maneuvers by the other side to delay the vote while they and their media allies beat up on the GOP.

No doubt the establishment media, who are largely an adjunct of the Democratic Party machine in the eyes of most conservatives, will extol the virtue of the “rights of the minority party” and the need for “bipartisanship”, which, in practice, amounts to giving the Democrats everything they want while giving the GOP and its base nothing they want. Indeed, the media who place their own liberal bias first and foremost have aided in polarizing America because, like partisan Democrats, they present “fairness” as giving only one side a voice and giving only one side what it wants.

Of course, conservative media, especially blogs, radio talk shows, and Fox News, will be equally uncompromising and will call any compromise with Democrats a surrender. They will snipe at any GOP leader who considers immigration reform or modifying but not repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, and they will in general add to the polarization. Most conservative media sources admit that they are conservative but do little to balance their coverage or go beyond watchdog news and opinion piece writing, and both their language and their coverage serve only conservative readers or viewers.

The difference is that many of these conservative outlets, including pundits on Fox News, disclose their own agenda while leftists in the media refuse to disclose their bias, or even admit to it. The practice of disclosing one’s ideological or party bias on the part of media is not accepted among most of the establishment media.

Between overtly biased partisan pundits and biased reporters who refuse to admit their bias, let alone disclose what it is, politicians face a media environment dominated on both sides by the ends of the political spectrum and will be clobbered unless they throw red meat at their base.

While the GOP are making many noises about cooperation and working with the President, voters in the middle are especially favorable toward this view, they must contend with the perception among many rank and file members that the Democrats (and their media allies) will demonize them unless they abjectly surrender and their own base (whom, feeling alienated, did not support their 2012 Presidential nominee) be further alienated if they perceive that the GOP is giving in too much. Likewise, however, the establishment media and the Democrat base are likely to pressure the President and his Party to “tow the line” and even to resort to more executive actions rather than giving in to the GOP.

In short, we will see real budget battles, more investigations and hearings, much more pushback on executive and regulatory actions not popular with the GOP, and probably more polarization fueled in part by partisan media on both sides which, far from being objective and counseling compromise, will attack anyone on “their side” who dares to go down that road.

Canada Under Attack

W R Collier Jr October 22, 2014

October 22, 2014- OPINION AND ANALYSIS provided By William R Collier Jr- What began as reports of a gunman leaping from a car and shooting two guards at the Canadian War Memorial in Ottawa has become a story of multiple attackers disrupting life in the nation’s capital. But police revealed late that night that this was, “a lone wolf act of terror.”

Canada was under attack as police and paramilitary, along with armored vehicles, ranged the streets looking for “multiple shooters.” A shooter described as having long hair and carrying a long gun, exited a vehicle and “slowly but deliberately” approached a soldier at the War Memorial, a ceremonial guard, shooting him in the chest. The attacker then ran some 200 yards (past his car) to the “center block” of the Parliament building, which was filled because today is a caucus day. During caucus days, almost all Members of Parliament (MP’s) are present for caucus meetings of various sorts.

The shootings were first reported at 9:52 AM. The ceremonial guard was taken to the hospital where he would later succumb to his wounds, a terrible symbolic blow aimed at the heart of Canada’s storied martial past, and her honor, which the War Memorial represents. The guard who was killed was Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, reserve soldier from Hamilton, according to reports.

After shooting the soldier, the attacker is reported to have “raised his gun in triumph over his head.”

Craig Scott from Toronto, a Canadian MP, credited Kevin Vickers, Sergeant At Arms, with saving many lives by his quick action outside an MP Caucus Room where he killed the attacker- the attacker’s aim was to gain entrance into Caucus Room where the cabinet along with the Prime Minister Harper were meeting in caucus. With that in mind, the aim of the attack has clearly not been achieved, the goal would have been to kill the Prime Minister and as many cabinet members as possible. Vickers was a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The quick action of a man on scene with a gun gives further credence to the notion that disarming large public spaces does not make them safer- if this had been a university no armed person would have barred access to that room.

The dead attacker’s name is Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32. He is believed to be Canadian born and was a recent convert to Islam. He had been banned from traveling abroad and it was believed he wished to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq. ISIS had been calling for lone wolf operations, which are impossible to detect because they involve no planning or communicating among multiple actors.

Right after the shooting, police were seen moving door to door along Spark street, an historic roadway that extends from Parliament Hill, looking for possible suspects. Residents were told to close and lock doors, barricade themselves, and cover windows and “do not open your door under any circumstances.” This was lifted at around 1:30 PM and people were released to go home in a deliberate process.

All the bridges across the Ottawa River which lead to the province of Quebec have been closed.

This comes just two days after a Muslim extremist ran over two Canadian soldiers in Quebec, killing one, which is one of the reasons fingers had already been pointed at Salafist radicals in Canada who hide among the peaceful, and unwitting, Muslim population. Concerns of an un-merited backlash against Muslims in general have also been raised.

As these accusations were lobbed and concerns raised, Police were urging Canadians in the capital not to post pictures of soldiers or police which might reveal locations and tactics. People are being told to “get off the streets into shelter.”

Coincident with the attacks is that on the same day Canada’s Parliament was expected to consider, and pass, tough new anti-terrorism measures.

Police had confirmed that there were multiple locations where shots were fired but late that same night they retracted the confirmation. There were reported shootings at the War Memorial, inside Parliament, at a local mall (Rideau Centre Mall), and at a hotel. The attacker was killed in the abrupt and short-duration fighting. It is now confirmed that this is related to Salafist Jihad.

The objective of terrorism is to achieve one of two aims: to cause the government to over-react and alien the target population which leads to new recruits for the terrorist group, or to show the ineptness of government which leads to public fears and giving in to terrorist demands. The ability of a government to target the enemy without clamping down harshly on a broader audience is seen as crucial in responding to such acts. Erring too much in either giving in to public outrage which is often directed at a broader audience or giving in to political correctness and appearing to be weak and indecisive are the two dangers which governments must avoid.

Only the day before, at a Canadian Senate hearing, officials warned that a “disrproportionate” number of “radicalized Islamists” have made there way too Canada and through Canada and that “resources to track and stop them” are stretched “too thin” and that Canadian agencies have been forced to make “hard decisions” about who to track. What was recommended was a “change in attitude” toward Canada’s immigration policy, particularly with regards to Muslims, and its policies towards its immigrant Muslim population.

During his speach, Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared this to be an act of terror and vowed that terrorists would have “no place to hide.” This is much different from how his American counterpart responded to the lone wolf operation of a Salafo-Jihadist in Fort Hood who killed a number of American service members. President Obama called that act “workplace violence”, but Harper called this act “a brutal and violent act of terror.”

The juxtaposition between the two men and their reactions was not lost on opposition groups in America who used it to paint their nation’s President as indecisive, weak, and bumbling. President Obama has yet to identify this as an act of terror, let alone Islamic terror. Fresh questions about the Administration’s categorization of the 2009 lone wolf act of terror in Fort Hood as “workplace violence” are inevitable.

Canada is now considering its response as the city of Toronto currently has a greater Muslim population than any city in North America. Some are calling for a broad-brush rethink of Canada’s relationship with Muslim immigrants and the Muslim community in general. Others argue that allowing this act of terror to cause such an “over-reaction” will lead to yet more radicalization. The Prime Minister is expected to steer a middle road between the two positions.

Scottish Independence Day Or UK Re-Affirmation Day?

W R Collier Jr September 18, 2014

UPDATED – SCROLL DOWN FOR LATEST
4:53 PM- Turnout for the Vote is upwards to 90% in many locales, an historic, all-time high! While many gaming and betting sites are betting that the NO vote stands a 70% chance of winning, doubts have been raised about the veracity of the polling behind those estimates.

5:00 PM- POLLS HAVE CLOSED- it is now 10 PM in Scotland and polls are closed in this historic vote.

5:15 PM- YES supporters sounding less confident and NO supporters sounding more confident as votes are being counted. But after the vote, Scotland will be a nation divided and how will the rift be healed. Rumors are circulating of British Ministers in London breathing a sigh of relief.

5:31 PM NO vote supporters- “Wouldn’t be surprised if there is a 10-point spread for the NO vote.” But the problem is, that “DEVOMAX” is favored by a vast majority of the Scots, and DEVOMAX is virtually independnce in all but name with a vastly reduced role for Westminster in Scottish affairs. This cry “DEVOMAX” could become a rallying cry for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as well and would substantially changed the very nature of the UK. Indeed’ “DEVOMAX” could beome a rallying cry for American States who are tired of the concentration of powers in the hands of 545 key leaders in DC over the lives of 310 million Americans.

5:42 PM – YOUGOV Poll of voters- 54-46 in favor of NO, poling of people who have actually voted. YOUGOV president- “there is a 99% chance that the NO vote will win.”

5:45 PM OPINION by Bill Collier

DEVOMAX for Pennsylvania- Pennsylvania needs a state referendum instructing all of its representatives in DC to pursue MAXIMUM devolution of powers from the Federal Government to the Counties in our State and to the State itself.

How might this look?

Tax rates would not change, but as Counties and the State took on more powers taxes would shift to them instead of the Federal Government. Counties would be reformed into something most closely resembling a caucus-based consensual democracy or a broader republican system with a Council of at least 10 delegates, or one delegate per municipality and township, and a chief executive elected at large.

True self-government would devolve to the PEOPLE at the very local level and the state level and the Federal power would retain 30% of its current authority/functions.

This does not mean we would lower taxes or decrease services, and provision would have to be made to help very poor areas who cannot manage on their own, with the goal of helping them achieve self-reliance and self-governance.

This is the kind of thing that is coming to the UK, no matter how this vote ends, and this is what the world needs, in every major nation- less centralization which leads to bureaucracy, abuse, corruption, and squelching of inventive/creative innovations.

DEVOMAX for the UK, for America, for Canada, for Germany, for France, for every

8 PM- Voter fraud allegations in Glasgow, 10 ballots turned over to the police for investigation- hardly any reason to consider this widespread. Massive voter turnout in Scotland could upset polling calculations as polling models do depend on predicting voter turnout by region and demographic.

8:29 PM Clackmananshire NO wins 53.8% to 46.2% This on the low side of results predicted by polls for YES. This counts for less than 1% of the Scottish vote.

8:50 PM Turnout in Glasgow was 75%, which is not good for the YES vote because Glasgow is expected to swing towards YES.

9:02 PM- 67.2% NO, 32.8% YES. This is no surprise as these islands are both a Liberal Democrat stronghold and many locals identify more with Scandinavia than Scotland.

9:10 PM Dundee turnout is 78.8%, which is bad for the YES vote because Dundee is expected to win there handily. A fire alarm, which cleared the counting station, disrupted county. YES voters are looking for a 55-45 margin in favor of Independence.

9:18 PM English votes on English issues- an English Parliament is coming, a massive devolution of the British central government is coming come what may. This WILL catch fire across the pond as the phrase “devomax”, maximum devolution of central/federal powers to the States in America, becomes the new buzz word.

9:24 PM OPINION- Soon you’ll be hearing a new term in America, borrowed from the Scots and now the English- DEVOMAX! This involves a fundamental shift of political powers to the States and Counties/Parishes. This is not even about liberal or conservative policies, but, as BOTH sides in the Scottish referendum have said, “who shall decide for our nation (state), us or Westminster (DC)?”

9:42 PM Shetland’s vote in- 63.7% NO to 36.3%, but this is also in a Council area that was expected to go sharply for the NO camp.

10:02 PM – Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)- 53.4% to 46.6% for NO. This was expected to be reversed and is a very bad sign for the YES vote.

10:25 PM- the real question is not whether or not Scotland will vote for independence, promises of devomax have clearly swayed the vote in favor of the NO camp, the real question is will England itself have its own parliament. The general idea is to give Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland maximum powers but to only give maximum local powers in England to regional government, instead of a purely English entity. This would mean that the BIGGEST nation in the UK would have no “national government”, it would be divided into regions which would be dealt with individually by the British Parliament. But will the English buy that or will they be demanding their own national government for ALL of England?

10:34 PM 50.1% NO to 49.9% YES- this is a surprise as the YES vote was expected to fail by a large margin. This brings the overall total to 45% YES versus 55% NO.

10:55 PM- YES 57.3% to 42.7% NO. This result gives YES better results than any opinion poll tracked. TOTAL vote is YES 49.1% to NO 50.9%

11:08 PM – West Dunbartonshire- 54% YES 46% NO. Overall 49.8% to 50.2%.

11:11 PM Midlothian 56.3% to 43.7%. Generally a slight setback for the YES side, but they were projected to lose here. Overall 50.95% NO to 49.05% YES.

11:18 PM East Lothian NO 61.7% to 38.3% with Stirling 59.8% NO to 40.2% YES. Overall- 53.1% NO to 46.9% YES.

11:22 PM- Falkirk 53.2% NO to 46.8% YES. OVERALL is 53.2% to 46.8%. All talk is about devolution and how Cameron’s speech to the Scots promising the same swayed the vote for NO.

11:28 PM Angus- 53.5% NO 46.5% YES, Dumfrees and Galloway 65.7% NO 34.3% YES East Renfrewshire 63.2% NO 36.8%. Renfrewshire NO 52.8% YES 47.2%

Aberdeen City NO 59% to YES 41%

11:45 PM- North Lankarshire 50.1% YES to 49.1% NO Perth and Kinros 60.2% NO to 39.8% YES

11:53 PM 53.5% YES to 46.5% NO SKY NEWS is projecting the NO VOTE will win.

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Today 4 million Scots are expected to vote for or against independence from the UK. The 307 year long union which formed “Great Britain” could be severed today, which has massive implications for the UK, NATO, and the world.

Whatever the result of today’s vote, Scotland is going to have more independence and “localist” movements around the world and even in the US are going to take their cue from this event to demand more devolution of central powers to state/pronincial and local control- true “localist” self-government will get a shot in the arm that many freedom-minded people embrace.

Here is my prediction and what I think is best for Scotland (Bill Collier)-

I predict- the Scots will not vote for independence. But it will be close. However, I believe that the eventual independence of Scotland is inevitable. I predict the British Parliament will reneg on its promises to “devolve” more central powers and give more powers to Scotland, which will spark a new move towards independence. This is not the end of the story but just part of a process.

I think Soctland is stronger and better as part of the UK, both now and for the long haul. They are 5 million, England are 52 million, and they get more than they give in the relationship. With some devolution, which probably won’t go far enough for the Scots, they could have their experiment in reshaping their society according to their predominent ideology, which tends towards cooperativism, collectivism, and eco-sustainability.

Paul Collier, the co-editor of The Freedomist, feels differently. He thinks Scotland should declare independence on principle: the devolution of “big” to “small” is seen as healthy and inevitable. We both agree on two points: it is slightly more probable that the Scots will not vote for independence today but that independence is likely inevitable.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Save The Union!

W R Collier Jr September 8, 2014

Elites scramble- in England the elite are scrambling. The “Better Together” campaign has enlisted the help of ex-PM Gordon Brown who rolled out a series of, well, desperate promises to give Scotland everything short of independence if they vote no on September 18th.

Here’s the problem- the offer only reminds the Scots of how for many decades all their appeals to Westminster to give Home Rule to Holyrood within the Union have been rebuffed. Indeed, all throughout the period when the Better Together campaign seemed to be on top in the polls, no such promises were forthcoming. Better Together’s appeal appears to be negative. It amounted to threats that the Scots would lose the Pound and a whole rash of bad consequences, some of which, like the Pound, would be punitive acts by an angry England. This was hardly the way to woo voters.

Throughout Scotland’s schools, being for Independence is “cool”, and nobody wants to be seen with a “NO” sticker or button. In a vote which, astonishingly, gives the vote to anyone 16 years and older, this is far more significant than pollsters and pundits might even now understand. In the streets, the YES crowd are fond of pelting eggs and hurling insults at the NO crowd, and nobody seems interested in stopping this. Indeed, it must be noted, the Scottish government is fully behind the YES vote and, surprisingly ignored by pollsters, these people have already won their party’s vote.

Now Westminster is all about “devolution”. This will not work. It is clumsy, cloying even, and only reminds the Scots that they can have all the home rule they want by voting YES rather than waiting for Gordon Brown to roll out a “plan for devolution” and Home Rule “by the end of November.” If this can happen so quickly, why wasn’t it proposed and promoted last year and why wasn’t it touted as a reason to stay in the Union?

Were I a Scot I’d vote for the Union, and I can think of many reasons why this is desirable. Scotland are a great people and a vital part of the UK. By going it alone they renounce that inheritance, which is the British identity, a British identity and way of life many Scots fought and died for. Consider World War Two, consider also the future. One does not have to give up being Scottish in order to be British, but one loses the British identity and heritage by a rash independence that will divide Great Britain and undermine the existence of Britain itself.

Scotland is better within the Union, it has earned a respectable inheritance within Britain, its sons and daughters have made that flag their own. The YES campaign are seeking to sunder a beneficial Union for transient political aims, they essentially want a free hand to move further down the road to socialism, they are putting their Party and their ideology, which tomorrow may be forgotten, ahead of a 300 plus year Union that has quite literally made their people wealthy and powerful.

But, having said all that, it’s far too late in the game for the Better Together crowd to come up with a positive message or to overcome the popularity of Independence. Who wants to say “no” to anyone these days? And therein is the problem. The Better Together crowd, so demonstrably “establishment”, occupied the “no” space, not the “yes” space. It should have been “choose Union of Independence” and the Union crowd should have defined “Independence” as “secession” for party political reasons.

The election results are too close to call. Conservatives, loyalists to England who live in Scotland, and the monied classes will all vote for the Union. The socialists, many of the young, and the working class will vote for independence. But the choice is not patriotic: the NO crowd are not feeling sentimental to Britain, they are feeling frightened about the prospect of living in a socialist state; the YES crowd are not re-enacting “Braveheart” at the ballot box with a deep love for Scotland, they’re saying yes to hand-outs and socialist utopianism.

Russo-Ukraine War Update

W R Collier Jr September 2, 2014

Desperate? A private company, The Nicholas Group, has built and is donating this unlikely looking armored cars for paratroopers to use in "the ATO". — Desperate? A private company, The Nicholas Group, has built and is donating a fleet of these unlikely looking armored cars for paratroopers to use in “the ATO”. Photo- Ukrainian Min. Def.

While this new war is undeclared and while the invasion of the eastern Ukraine by 20,000 or so Russian troops has been tentative, this is in fact a war between Russia and the Ukraine. Much could be said about the history behind this conflict, how the Russian nation had its start in the Ukraine, how the Russians do not trust, or fear, the West, and how the Ukrainian nation identity has itself been rather weak in the past. Indeed, a valid question has been- “what is the cultural difference between the Ukraine and Russia?”

But national identity is an evolving thing and we are witnessing the emergence of a new and more vital Ukrainian national identity, spurred on by the current conflict. The mixing of the Russian ethnic population and the Ukrainian ethnic population means that the separation process could be ugly, pitting husbands and wives against each other.

Putting all that aside, the current war is real and it is threatening to escalate dramatically. Wars do not follow logic, they are not based on what we, sitting at home in our living rooms, might think is reasonable and logical. They often happen quite unintentionally, escalating each step of the way insensibly, as if the conflict itself has a mind of its own. Indeed, conditions on the ground in the eastern Ukraine are being set as much by unofficial pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian militias acting without regard for any strategic big picture or even for parochial interests as they are by the primary actors, Kiev and Moscow.

On the ground Russian forces are moving to occupy lands currently held by their proxy army, the pro-Russian militias, and the Ukrainian army is withdrawing from what it deemed an “anti-terror operation” zone into a more defensive and conventional military stance. One major critique has been that the Ukrainian government has failed to get heavy weapons, such as tanks and artillery, into the front lines, but this was owing to the nature of the operation- it was an operation aimed at “rebel” militias, not a conventional military foe. The real criticism would be that the Ukrainian high command failed early on to grasp the true nature of their enemy.

The Russians could send in over 100.000 well armed troops, that they are only sending in 20,000 so far indicates that Moscow has not yet mad a total commitment to total war, or it indicated their lack of regard for Ukrainian military resistance. An emerging problem for the Russians is that the family of those Russian soldiers sent into combat while their leaders deny that a military operation is underway are beginning to react negatively.

Currently, Ukrainian forces are preparing a conventional defense of Mariupol, a port that sits on the way between the Russian border on the south eastern Ukraine coast and the Crimea. Ukrainian forces are making a strategic withdrawal to more defensible lines and efforts appear to be underway to move armored brigades and divisions to the east but, evidently, not right up to the forward areas.

A recent photograph taken by Reuters News revealed Ukrainian troops training with what appear to be either Swedish or German man-portable anti-tank missiles which we believe have been supplied secretly by the Poles who have a much tougher stance on how to deal with Russia and who are calling for NATO to arm the Ukrainians. Currently, NATO and the US refuse to provide combat arms and are focusing only on “non-lethal aid” including rations and medical supplies. Such missiles and other crew served weapons, like mortars and automatic grenade launchers, can be combat equalizers and are relatively simple to learn to operate as compared to tanks or self-propelled artillery.

The “wild card” in this war will remain the degree to which the Ukrainians have maintained their stockpile of ex-Soviet weapons, including tanks and aircraft, which, while outmoded by Western standards, could stand up to modern Russian weapons on the battlefield. Additionally, it is unknown whether true changes in Ukrainian training, which had been poor, have been implemented. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has claimed that they have made substantial improvements to their training programs.

The next major battle which will set the tone for the next stage of this still undeclared war will be the battle of Mariupol. If the Russians roll through and create a land-bridge to the Crimea, Putin may indeed attempt to roll into Kiev within two weeks as he threatened European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso recently.